UNC Global’s 2018 Passport Drive Sees Record Number of Applicants and Renewals
November 15, 2018
UNC Global Affairs
Sergay Paw '20
UNC Global’s annual Passport Drive took place on November 7 and 8, 2018, at the FedEx Global Education Center. The event welcomed students, faculty, staff and their families to apply for or renew their passports. Officials from the U.S. Department of State were on campus both days to accept new passport and passport renewal applications.
This year, 411 attendees submitted passport applications – a record turnout for the event.
“We want to make work, study and travel abroad as open and accessible as possible to UNC’s students, faculty, staff and their families,” said Katie Bowler Young, director of global relations for UNC Global. Young’s office organizes the Passport Drive. “This drive is a great way for us to help open the path for meaningful global experiences. We’re thankful that the State Department continues to collaborate with us to host the drive.”
The first 50 Carolina students to arrive at the passport drive each day received complimentary passport photos from Chancellor Carol Folt. This year, 87 undergraduate and 13 graduate students received free photos courtesy of the chancellor.
The Center for Global Initiatives (CGI) also continued its Passport to Go! (P2GO!) program, which provides financial support for eligible first-year and transfer students to obtain their first passport. This year, P2GO! provided 166 Carolina students with funding for their first U.S. passports.
CGI spearheads the P2GO! program as part of a larger campus effort to offer and promote greater access to international education. For many Carolina students, applying for a passport is their first step to experiencing other regions of the world.